I’m enrolled in this month’s photography workshop

The workshop is titled “The Dance: A photographic Workshop in Movement”. It is on a Saturday at the end of the month and lasts two hours. The description reads: “Dancers model for this exciting workshop. Learn to photograph people from the best light and angles. Find out what makes a beautiful and flattering portrait in motion and still.” I can’t wait for this workshop.

Session 1 – Let’s get Digital Class

There are seven people in the class. Tonight only five of us showed up. Out of the five of us there are two Canon Rebels, one Canon 40D, one Canon 5D and one Canon 7D. Our teacher is the only one with a Nikon…(until we see what the other classmates have).


Today in class we learned about F-Stops, Shutter Speeds, ISO, Bracketing, Burst Mode, Composition, Lenses and Legs (aka Tripods and Monopods).

The teacher said he mainly shoots in AV mode (AV= Aperture Value mode). In the AV mode you adjust your f-stop. In TV (Time Value) mode you adjust your own shutter speed. In P (program) mode the camera does it all for you. In M (Manual) mode you adjust your own f-stop and shutter speed. Our teacher uses Manual mode mainly for storms, night photography and portraits with flashes and strobes.

What is the difference between using Program mode and the green box on your camera? The difference is your exposure compensation and flash use.

When it comes to ISO my teacher said he bases his ISO at 100 and moves up from there. When it comes to f-stops my teacher prefers portraits to be at f/5.6 – f/11. At f/8 or f/11 the whole face is sharper.

When it comes to composition, my teacher wants us to make sure and shoot in vertical and horizontal. The object should not be in the dead center and should be the greater part of your composition.

The teacher also suggests buying a neck and hand strap. He suggests that we don’t use the one that comes with our camera. He uses a Tamrac hand strap that also converts to a neck strap.

It is also suggested that we shoot our photos in Adobe RGB if we plan to print our photos. If your photos were mainly going to be used on the web than keep it in SRGB mode.

Our assignment for the next class is corners/angles. We are to try changing our point of view. We are to take some normal, straight on shots and then shoot from a different angle. He suggests also trying a worm’s eye view. We also need to make sure and incorporate the rule of thirds in this assignment.

A second intermediate class is created!

I am ecstatic!  I got a call from the school where I take photography classes the other day.  It turns out that there were so many people on the waiting list that they are creating another class this quarter.  We start on Thursday at 6:30 PM.  The class will run for six weeks from February 25 through April 8. I’m so happy that I will be able to squeak in this class before the baby comes.

This class is for Digital SLR's.

My first go at a belly shot

My sister-in-law had asked me a few weeks earlier for a black and white shot of me holding my baby belly.  She wanted this for shower invites.  I waited until the evening before we were heading out of town.  At about 10:00 PM I put a dark blanket over the door and turned on all the lights.  I also placed a reading light in front of me shining on my stomach. 

I had my new 50mm lens on the camera and had my husband snap several shots.  I decided to go with the one below:

I took the photo and went into Lightroom 3 Beta and tried to convert it into black and white.  I didn't like the preset settings but then again I had absolutely no idea what I was doing.  I spent a hour or two playing around with the settings to come up with the photo below:

When I view the photo in Lightroom it is bright.  But when I view it in this blog or anywhere else it looks dark and dull.  I cropped it to get rid of the lighter wall on the right.  It will have to do for now.

I went back into Lightroom tonight to try and play around with it some more and it just looks worse.

Note to self:  Check out Lightroom tutorials and next time take the ponytail holder off your hand.

Underexposure on kids portraits

I asked my teacher for advice on how to make my portraits better.  In particular, the photos of my nephews in the post below titled "Favorite Faces of 2009". 

http://ashutterbugapprentice.blogspot.com/2010/01/2009-few-favorite-faces.html

He suggested an external flash.  I guess that means I need to move the speedlight up towards the top of my list.

He also said that a happy medium would be to take two pictures, one with the exposure on the kid, another with the exposure on the background.  Review the images to see what the shutter speeds are (this is best to start in AV mode, where you can keep your f/stop at a constant number.)  Look at the shutter speeds, and flip the camera to manual mode.  Dial in a number for the shutter speed that is between the two of them (say the background was at 1/300 and the kid was at 1/100, you would dial in 1/200 of a second in manual mode).  This might give you a happy medium, slightly underexposed kid, with a slightly overexposed background.  Make sure to keep f/stop and ISO the same as the test shots.  He said that this would take a little longer but might help out until I can buy a flash. 

Another option is to dial the shutter speed (in manual mode) a little faster (to keep the background exposure more accurate), and then use the pop up flash.  From the menu, you can adjust the setting of the flash.  Start light (ex: 1/8 to 1/4 the power) and increase it if the kid is too underexposed.

Learning to knit for photos

I have found so many items on etsy that I want to order.  The problem is that my husband would never allow me to spend so much.  So I have decided to pick a few of my favorites to order and learn to knit/crochet some more simple items.

Above are items I made this weekend:  two diaper covers, a hat and a cuddle sack.  The first diaper cover is made of thick, cheaper yard.  I was just trying to see if I could actually make one.  The others are made with an angora and thicker yarn combined.

If I can do this, anyone can.  I bought a set of circle looms and long looms and have taught myself how to knit in two weekends.  The first weekend I made two hats.

My current project is a nest egg. (I'll add photos once completed).

If you are interested in the cuddle sack, here is the pattern I used:

http://www.blogster.com/nittineedles/baby-cuddle-sack-on-loom-free-pattern

If interested in the diaper covers, here is the pattern I used:

http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/loomed-diaper-cover.html

I found out while making the diaper cover that you need an understanding of crocheting in order to complete this project.  It is not all done on the loom.

Now that I know I can make these particular items I will be purchasing more high quality yarns.

Session 3 – Beginner’s Class

Today we talked about file organization and management. He went over items that we should have as well as different resources we should check out.


You should always have more than one memory card. Having only one is like a ticking time bomb. Memory cards do not last forever. You also should only format your card in the camera and you should do that every time you put the card back into your camera. This will help the life of the card.

You should have an extra set of batteries. The teacher recommends only using the same brand of battery that your camera is.

If you plan to buy a used lens you need to check it out very carefully. You need to watch for fungus or heavy dust.

You should calibrate your monitor once a month. You can buy a calibrator for about $100.

You should always print your photos at a professional printer. Why would you spend so much money on a quality camera and equipment and then print your own photos? If you print your own photos there is a lot more work than just calibrating your monitor. There is a lot involved to get your printer to print quality photos.
Locally we can use West Michigan Photoworks and print an 8x10 for $2.00.

Using gels

My teacher has talked a lot about using gels to cover your flash.  It is supposed to "set the mood" or change the effect of your photos.  There are also gel filters used to reduce shadows.

You can buy a 1.75 x 2.75" sample swatchbook of Roscolux Series gels.  You can cut them out and tape them to your flash or you can try out and determine which gels or sheets to purchase.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=45189&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

Locally, you can buy a small swatchbook at Theatricks in Grand Rapids, Michigan for $3.50 or a large swatchbook for $7.00.

Photographing Newborns

**As I find new information I update this post to help me with my newborn session in a few months.

I have never taken any photos of newborns but have been collecting information from the internet, off forums and from my teacher regarding this type of photography.  Why?  Because I'm expecting my first child and want to take the best photos I can of him.

I have been taking so many notes I can't remember what tips I got from whom.  However many of the tips have been used in almost all of the articles or forums I've read.

Preparing for a session:
• Photograph newborns within their first 10 days of birth because babies can lose their “curl” and they will not be as moldable after this time frame. Also after 10 days the baby has some head control.
• Baby should be sleepy and wearing clothes that are easy to remove or swaddled in a blanket.

• Home should be heated to mid-seventies and there should be a space heater near the baby.

• Take photos in the daytime near a window with lots of natural light.

• Try to avoid using flash.

• Set camera to highest possible resolution and compression.

• Take several breaks.

• Loosen diaper 30 minutes before shoot.

• Baby should be tired and have a full tummy.

Rules to remember:
• The brighter you make your subject, the darker the background will appear to be in the image.
• Shoot at smaller apertures for narrow depth of field to highlight the softness of the newborn.

• When taking pictures of newborns especially you should seek soft, diffused light. Take pictures of your baby by the window as opposed to in direct sunlight. Overcast days are really some of the best lighting conditions.

• Eliminate red eye by enabling the red eye reduction function on your camera. Also try to divert your babies eyes from looking directly into the camera as this will help eliminate red eye, too.

• Increase the ISO and exposure compensation on your camera in low light levels, but check to make sure that the image doesn’t become too grainy as a result.

• Shoot from all different angles.

• Keep camera on continuous shooting mode.

• Use longer shutter speeds.

• As a beginner it’s easiest to get started in aperture priority. In this setting you will basically choose your aperture and the camera will automatically select a shutter speed.

• It’s a good idea to keep the shutter above 1/250.

Things to keep in mind:
• Choose poses ahead of time and practice. Do a google search for baby photographs.
• Plain clothes are better than stripes, patterns and designs…however, au natural is the best.

• Drape fabric over the beanbag underneath a large window (pull it away from the window slightly so the light just starts to fall off) and put the baby in the center. Take photos from all angles including straight above using the window light as a kind of soft box. Try and position the baby so their face is towards the window and their eyes aren’t in shadow. (Use the rooting reflex to get them to look in the direction you want). Look for catchlights. Get rid of any folds or gaps in the black using Photoshop.

• What is rooting reflex? Rubbing at the corner of the mouth makes the baby pucker its lips and turn his head in that particular direction.

• What is catchlights? A “catchlight’ is simply the highlight of a light source reflected off the surface of the eye. This highlight adds depth and dimension to the eye, and gives the eyes life in a portrait or snapshot.

• Try to have your backdrop at a 45 degree angle to the window.

Equipment needed:
• Space heater

• Boppy

• Bean bag – extra bag of fill

• Baby wipes – you will need to clean up throughout shoot

• Photo correction software

• Lenses – 28mm or 50mm

• Small heating pad

• Heartbeat womb bear

• Puppy pads

* Frosted shower curtain or cheap twin shet

* White foam core

* A-clamps

Props needed:
• Cheesecloth
• Faux fur rug

• Hand-knit hats

• Cocoon, nest egg

• Baskets, bowls or anything that a newborn could fit into or onto that might be interesting.

Backgrounds needed:
• Black fuzzy blanket – the fuzzier the blanket the better because it absorbs light without bouncing it back into the camera.
• Black velvet/Black suede

• Soft fabrics

Pose Ideas:
• White background, baby on stack of towels and blue ribbon
• Black background, naked baby in parents arms (Parents wear black)

• Baby body parts: butt, feet, belly, hands, toes, fingers, ears, lips, rolls, eyelashes, hair…get as close as you can.

• Lay baby on his tummy and curl up his legs.

• Wrap him in cheesecloth or pretty swaddle blankets.

• Sleeping with mom

• The Big Yawn shot

• Little side note: Have mom wear spaghetti strap tank top or a terry cloth towel and black pants. And of course have the baby naked or in a diaper. The more skin you can show with newborns, the more timeless it feels.

• The Baby hair swirl shot. Have dad hold the baby in front of him; get a shot of his big hands and the baby’s small head with that sweet hair swirl.

• Have your sleepy little on just rest his head on your chest, look down at the floor.

• Baby crying

• Mom and Dad and baby

• Baby’s hand or foot in its mothers hand to emphasize the difference in size

• Mother nursing the baby

• Rest the infant on the shoulder of a parent and take a charming parent and child photo, with or without the parent’s face

• Lay the newborn down on a blanket and snap quickly when the infant raises her head. Some newborns are not able to raise their heads.

• Have the parent swaddle the baby in a blanket, and then lay the baby down. Prop the underside of the infant with a rolled up baby blanket. This can be done in a number of angles to get a pleasant look.

• Drape the parent’s chest and lap with a colorful cloth and have them hold the baby in their draped arms. Closely cropped, the image will look like the baby is being held by a custom poser.

Ugly Pop-up Flash Award

I entered the Ugly Pop-up Flash contest with the following photos this past December.  This morning I got an email from Professor Kobre saying:

"Forgive the VERY late notice, BUT for your many ugly flash pictures in December, especially IMG_4699, you win your own Professor Kobre's Lightscoop. 

Regards, Ken Kobre"

and the award goes to:

What is a lightscoop?

http://www.lightscoop.com/

Class is full

You have got to be kidding me!  This is the class I wanted to take the most.  The class is scheduled to start on 2/16/10 and last 6 weeks.  When I found out it was full  I e-mailed my teacher to see if there was anything he could do.  (Like I said I really wanted to take this class now...pre-baby).  The teacher suggested I call and get my name put on the waiting list.  I immediately did that.  Now it's a waiting game...hoping that someone cancels!

The class is called "Let's get Digital".  This intermediate class will help you get the most out of your digital SLR camera.  You will discover all the wonderful tools while learning about composition and artistry.  Tripod is needed.  I am currently taking his beginner's class.

There are a few other classes that I want to sign up throughout the year:  Beginners guide to photoshop, Night photography, Nature photography, Advanced Lighting Techniques, and The Dance"  A photographic workshop in movement.

Session 2 - Photography Class

About 25 minutes before I had to leave for class I remembered that I didn't do my homework.  Oops!  I wanted to try out my new 50mm f/1.8 lens but it was still in the unopened box.  I thought what the heck.  I put it on my camera and started snapping shots.  Let me say that I'm not used to the 50mm lens at all.  I kept wanting to use my hands to zoom the lens.  How difficult it is to learn that my body is the zoom...and I need to move in closer to my subject.  I ran downstairs and downloaded my few photos.  I was a little upset with the outcome but I was out of time.

Once at class we spent the first 1-1/2 hours going over everyone's homework. Below is mine...and I tried to remember some of his criticism.

He liked the photo but felt it was too centered.  He would have like to seen the ball on the left cropped partialy out.  He also said it might have a better effect if the balls were more at an angle.  He did like the reflection in the glass though.

Again he felt the subject was too centered.  He thought that I should have used the shape of the blinds to my advantage in this photo.

He didn't like this photo.  He felt I should have taken the photo straight on and focused on one or two of the flower stems.

He liked that I looked down on the subject but didn't like the glare.  (If I had a filter that fit this lens I would have used it.)  He thought that I should be using a lens hood...and that the photo needed more contrast.

He thought that I should have been looking at this object  straight on and again I should have cropped  it a bit.

After going over all the homework we went over today's lesson.  We talked about Manual Controls (F-Stop, Shutter Speed, White Balance - auto, daylight, cloudy, indoor, fluorescent.  We went over Shooting types (Portrait, Action/Sports, Night Shot, Macro, Burst, Bracket).  By the way he believes that anyone with a DSLR should avoid "picture icons" like the plague.  We also discussed Still Lifes, Cityscapes and people.

Some extra things I got off of my teacher's ramblings this week were as follows:  He always shoots in AV unless shooting a night scene or a special event.  He likes AV because you can change your depth of field.  The best f-stops for abstracts are f/2 - f/4.5, for portraits f/5.6 - f/11 and for landscape, f/11 - f/22.  He recommends always using a tripod when shooting landscapes or storms.  His favorite filter is the split level neutral density filter.  He says not to center subjects in the photo, remember the rule of thirds and crop your photo.  He says that if you have a DSLR you should always shoot in continuous mode with children, pets and scenes.

ASSIGNMENT:
Our assignment for next week is to take photos of objects or people.  We are to try some different lighting techniques (natural light with a diffusor), or arrange some similar lights to illuminate our subject without having to use our flash.  We are to experiment with some different white balance situations.  We are to try shooting vertical and to use the rule of thirds.

Session 1 - Photography Class

I signed up for a photography class at a local arts center.  The class lasts three weeks long for two hours each class. This class is the first of several I hope to take.  This class is titled "Beginner's Guide to Digital Photography."  In this class we are supposed to learn how to use all of the menus and functions of our digital camera. This class is designed for point and shoots but I signed up because DSLR's are welcome.  I thought any and all information would help me with my photos. 

This first session was about getting to know your camera.  We discussed ISO (a.k.a. noise reduction), zoom (optical and digital zoom), Image Stabilization/Vibration Reduction,  Image Quality, Focus Zones or Metering, Exposure Compensation, Self-timer, Built-in flash, Sounds, Rule of Thirds, Horizon Line, Changing your perspective and cropping your image/zoom in.

After the lesson we walked around the building taking photos using some of the things we learned in class.
The teacher suggested two books for us to check out.  The first was "The Digital Photography book" by Scott Kelby.  The second is a book from the Magic Lantern series based on the particular camera we have.  I personally already have the Magic Lantern DVD for my Canon 40D and I didn't really care for it.  I haven't seen the Scott Kelby book yet though.

I tried to pick up on anything extra that the teacher said.  He believes that a 50mm lens is one of the best lenses you can own.  He actually prefers the f/2.8 over the f/1.4.  I was a little lost when he got into his reasoning...but it sounded great at the time.  He said that we should always strive for bokeh in macro shooting.  He thinks that one should have a remote timer for their DSLR.  He said you can get a good infrared timer to attach to your camera for $15-$30...though he believes that the Canon has a special remote.  He said we should turn off red-eye reduction and never use it.  He also said we should keep the camera on rear curtain sink or low sink. 

ASSIGNMENT:
Our assignment was to focus on point of view (POV).  We are to take photos of some ordinary subjects around the house (outdoors or indoors) and try shooting from a different angle.  We are to incorporate the rule of thirds into our composition.

12 weeks to better photos

http://sites.google.com/site/biowbiow002/twopeas_12week

I can't wait to get started on this program.

2009 - A few favorite places

These photos are SOOC using automatic mode. I am using my Canon 40D with my kit lens.

 Most of them were shot using my circular polarizer.

2009 - A few favorite faces

These photos are SOOC using automatic mode. I am using my Canon 40D with my kit lens.  The only editing that was done was to change the last photo to black and white.

My nephew Zachary's 1st Birthday Party in a park

Zachary's cousin on left.  My cousin Kanan on right.

My nephew Kale's 1st Birthday Party in his house

This is my furbaby Sparky

Keep in mind that I don't understand how to use manual settings nor do I understand ISO, white balance, etc. Feel free to criticize away.

Photography Boards and Forums

As helpful as the boards are they can really put a hurtin' on your bank account.  People mention equipment or props and everybody goes out and buys it.  I'll admit I have been succumbed by peer pressure because I too have jumped on the "I gotta have that too" train.

I don't know how to use my camera yet, let alone my kit lens.  Here I am buying new equipment and items for my "studio".

My studio?  Yes, sorry dear husband. I have decided to turn our computer room/office into my photography supply studio. (I hope you don't mind!)

I even asked my husband for two lightscoops for my birthday.  I'm not sure if they will help me but darn it the examples of the photos looked pretty convincing.  We've been out shopping for thrifty white boards, plexiglass, beanbags, fabric and crocheted hats.  I haven't sat down to work on my "12 weeks to better photography" lesson yet but I'm successfully obtaining an impressive arsenal of props.

My journey

I grew up with a mom who always had her camera with her.  She took pictures of everything - vacations, parties, people, etc.  She probably has over 200 (if not more) photo albums crammed full of photos...and tons more in boxes waiting to be put into books.  Now that she has a digital camera she has even more saved on disks or on her computer.  Needless to say I get my love of photography from her.

My mom loved photography but she was by no means a professional.  She shoots her photos in the automatic mode and doesn't own any editing software.  That is how I take photos.  However, I want to change that.

In August of 2008 after a lot of research, I purchased a Canon 40D DSLR.  I didn't know the first thing about my camera.  I bought books and DVDs and to no avail--still use the automatic setting.

My plan was that if I invested in great photography equipment it would be my incentive to learn how to take better photos.  I had hoped that I would know what I was doing by the time I had kids.  Here I am 20 weeks pregnant and still as clueless as I was back in August of 2008.  What really kicked my butt into gear was something called "newborn photography".  I see all of these photos of innocent newborns and I melt.  I started looking for newborn photographers in our area.  My husband quickly put the kibosh on that idea.  He thinks that just because I have a nice camera I should be able to take the photos myself.  He doesn't understand that a great camera doesn't equal great photographs.  I know what kind of shots I want.  I can see these amazing photos in my head, BUT...the pictures in my head look nothing like the pictures that come out of my camera.  The sad thing is, I know it's not my camera's fault.

So, here I stand 20 weeks pregnant and 20 weeks (give or take) to learn my camera well enough to take decent photos of my son when he is born. 

My name is Cari.  I'm a beginner addicted to photography...and this is my journey.